​Global experts gather in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss smart city with sustainable economic growth

Ho Chi Minh City -- Experts have gathered in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss the importance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in the economic growth and the development of a smart city.

"The Fourth Industrial Revolution is affecting many industries as it is changing the world," chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong told audience during an opening speech for the "2018 Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum", held at White Palace Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City Friday.

As part of its project to upgrade old cities into smart innovative cities and create new smart town areas, the Vietnamese government is preparing regulations and infrastructures for test operations. The government estimates tens of smart cities to be set up across the country by 2020.

[Photograph by Nguyen Minh Tan]

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee chairman pointed out that Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies are vital to the innovative development of a smart city as well as maintaining a sustainable growth. Than Phong said that the forum was set up to find the best way to develop the city. He also promised to work on the innovative development of the city reflecting the voices of scholars, investors and companies.

In 2017, Ho Chi Minh City has kicked off a project to upgrade its urban areas into a smart city by 2025. Once the project is finished, Thanh Phong was confident that Vietnam's second-largest city will change into an innovative city with a strong, sustainable economic growth.

The 2018 Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum was hosted by the government of Ho Chi Minh City. The External Affairs Bureau of Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Business Association (HUBA), and the Korea & Vietnam Economic Cultural Association (KOVECA) have co-hosted the event.

VinFast, Vietnam's very first carmaker, was the main sponsor and South Korean conglomerate Samra Midas (SM) Group was the special sponsor. South Korean media group Aju News Corporation, Association of High Potential Enterprises of Korea and Korea Federation of SMEs took part as sponsors.

[Photograph by Nguyen Minh Tan]

Vice chairman of SM Group and CEO of Samhwan Lee Kye-yon and Aju News Corporation chairman Kwak Young-kil have attended the forum while hundreds of scholars and business leaders from other countries took part as keynote speakers and audience. SM Samhwan is a subsidiary of SM Group.

South Korean experts -- Cha Sang-kyun, director of Seoul National University's Big Data Institute and Yoon Won-seok, a professor at Sookmyung Women's University -- carried out keynote speeches and also engaged in a special discussion with global experts including Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam.